Finding Cheap Flights For Family Travel

As summer arrives, family travel is on the minds of many (including us) so I’m sharing my approach to grabbing up cheap airfares. Although, in reality, I’m not sure there really are cheap flights anymore (or at least what I consider to be cheap). Is it just me or does finding airfares for the family feel like you are trying to catch the Golden Snitch in a game of Quidditch?

Generally speaking, I guess I’m talking about trying to find reasonable airfares that we feel are actually a fair price. Admittedly, some of this is not within our control so success varies. But it does make me feel better to know I did the research to find the best deal. This picture below was taken 10 years ago (pre-kids) on Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos. Easily the most beautiful beach I have ever seen! 

Step 1. Use Comparison Sites
Expedia, Google Flights, and Kayak are well-known and a good starting point if you just want a general idea. Tip: Always save yourself time by narrowing your travel parameters so the search results are refined as possible. Perfect example is that we don’t do connecting flights for many reasons. It just is not an option for us so I always choose the non-stop option in the advanced search features on all these sites. Alternative sites to consider trying out: Momondo, Skyscanner, Adioso, Bing Travel. 

Step 2. Narrow it down and check the details
Want to check the leg room or if certain seats don’t recline? Power outlets? Best seats? It’s worth a few minutes to visit SeatGuru. Especially for longer flights with kids, it is nice to be able to check out what which type of plane it is and what you can expect. 

Step 3. Don’t wait to purchase and book far in advance
I almost always book my flights by going directly to the airline site. I’m a big Southwest fan as well as JetBlue. Their sites are easy to navigate with a streamlined purchase process that is a time saver. If the fare is there and available, book it. In all likelihood if you wait, that fare will be gone – especially the closer you get to your date of travel. 

This is just my routine and I’ve been using some version of it for the last 15 years. I used to book corporate travel for executives prior to becoming a nurse. Both of our kids have been flying since they were 5 month old and one of our family goals is to instill in our kids a love of travel and exploration. I still try to follow some well-known tips like buying airlines tickets on a Tuesday. But does that really work anymore? I’d like to think so. Of course, being flexible with dates always helps. 

What tips and tricks do you use to book family travel?

Wishing you and your family a safe and adventure-filled summer!